The five major chapters of this preliminary investigation contain: (1) a description of the contextual setting of the study and a discussion of its objectives and hypotheses, (2) review and analysis of related studies, (3) procedures and design of the investigation and operational definition of elements, (4) enumeration of results, and, (5) the…

A study of listening comprehension skills in foreign language classes compared the level of retention achieved by students trained to listen and perform versus students trained to listen and observe. Physical movement during training was not shown to be a critical factor in achievement. However, the experiment revealed a significant difference in…

In order to offer students more stimulating lab learning, teachers at the University of Hawaii have developed the "lab sheet," a procedure that combines listening and writing skills. It may be adapted for almost any text and language learning level. With its introduction, lab attendance increased nearly 20 percent. (Author/RM)

The Department of Germanic Languages at the University of Texas at Austin has developed a language program in which students are trained in listening and reading comprehension before practicing production. The main objective was to improve student attitudes and reduce attrition between semesters. (SW)

A questionnaire given to graduates and students of English revealed that: most use of their English was in the home country; aural comprehension was most important, followed by reading-comprehension, speaking and writing. Abroad, English was used more in non-English-speaking countries than in England or the USA. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

The experiment reported on in this article is an attempt to cope satisfactorily with the problem of introducing writing in an elementary second language course. In the beginners' course set up at the C.R.A.P.E.L., the decision was made not to "introduce" the written language but to enable the learners, from the beginning of the course, to write…

A large number of factors are considered in their role in second language learning. Individual factors include language aptitude, personality, attitudes and motivation, and the role of the speaker's native language. Teacher factors involve the method of instruction, the sex of the teacher, and a teacher's training and competence, while…

This interim report on an experimental program to increase student motivation to learn French at the Cultural Centre of Intensive French (CCIF) examines objectives, evaluation procedures, and results of the experiment. Part 1 contains sections on: (1) French achievement in Ottawa, Canada, grade 8 classes, (2) Pimsleur listening comprehension test,…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate French programs in Alberta. Evaluation teams visited schools in four jurisdictions; each school jurisdiction provided a representative sample of 50 non-Francophone students at each of the grades 6, 9, and 11, and a sample of 25 dropouts from the program in each of the grades 6 and 11. Tests and…

The Spanish version of "Sesame Street" was used in a project in a class of 12 students in the second semester of first-year Spanish at Phillips Exeter Academy, and an attempt was made to evaluate the usefulness of the series in second language acquisition. This account of the project has five parts: (1) a history of the production of…